One of the best ways to ensure a bountiful marijuana harvest is to use earthworm castings on the soil. This natural material is the by-product of the food digested by the worms. As such, it is purely organic and extremely rich in both the main nutrients and trace minerals that are essential to the plants.
Interestingly, the benefits of using worm castings are not only limited to nutrients. It has several other surprising advantages, making it deserve to earn the title of super plant food. For this reason, it is the most popular fertilizer that many big city millennials use to nourish their plants.
While many growers commonly associate composting with hard work, using this method is relatively easy. Basically, all we need is a good environment for the worms and plenty of food supply to work their magic. Once we apply it to our crop, expect to see it grow healthier and produce richer buds.
To get started in using worm castings, it is best to know the basics about it. Hence, this article will cover its benefits, production, and usage. Because of its tremendous positive effects on the plants, learning about it can be extremely valuable to the cannabis growers.
What We Need to Know About Worm Castings
Again, the best way to supercharge the soil is to use worm castings. But how do we get started with this method? For interested growers, this section will provide all the necessary information to start using it effectively in the garden. But first, let’s take a quick look at its composition and benefits.
1. What is it?
As mentioned, worm castings are the excrement s of worms from digesting various food scraps. Somehow, through their digestion process, they produce this material that is loaded with rich nutrients for the soil.
1.1 Worm Castings vs Vermicomposts
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Worm castings slightly differ with vermicomposts when it comes to composition. While the former is made purely of worm feces, the latter is a mix of the castings and other materials in the compost. Both have the same basic ingredient and are often combined with each other. Thus, many growers use these terms interchangeably.
1.2 What kind of worms can we use?
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There are specific earthworms that growers use for this purpose. The two main types are the Lubricus rubellis and the Eisenia foetida which are also the ones we use as fish baits. Casually, they are known as the red worms, red wrigglers, tiger worms, and the manure worms.
2. What are its benefits?
Aside from being totally chemical-free and inexpensive, using worm castings can make huge improvements to the garden. In addition, they are readily available and are easy to make. So, what more do we need? To truly appreciate their magic, let’s examine how they are beneficial to the crop.
2.1 Aerate the Soil
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While most gardeners keep their worms in a container, some are more practical and just let them loose in the garden. This allows the worms to perform their most obvious functions which is to tunnel through the soil and introduce oxygen in the process. As a result, the roots get enough space to absorb more water and nutrients.
2.2 Environment-friendly
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Aside from being nature’s decomposers, worms also help households reduce their waste by recycling their kitchen scraps. This significantly reduces landfills while enriching the soil and produce bountiful harvests. Add to that, using castings eliminates the need to use harmful chemicals in the garden.
2.3 Get Rid of Harmful Microorganisms
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Worm castings release substances in the humus that eliminates toxic fungi and bacteria. In effect, they fight off diseases that could possibly weaken the plants and affect our yield. Moreover, they also introduce good microorganisms that help make the soil richer and the plants healthier.
2.4 Make the Soil More Absorbent
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The castings can make the soil absorb moisture more easily. As a result, the soil gets all the water that it needs, keeping the plants well-hydrated and at no risk from completely drying out.
2.5 Stabilize the pH of the Soil
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The soil needs to have a balanced pH to absorb the essential minerals. When we apply the worm castings, this immediately corrects any imbalances in the pH level. Hence, for many growers, this is the best remedy and preventive measure for nutrient problems.
2.6 Teeming with Nutrients
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Compared to the ordinary potting mix, castings have ten times more nutrients. In fact, they contain over 60 micronutrients and other essential elements including nitrogen, phosphates, and calcium. Even better is that unlike commercial fertilizers, they are released slowly in the soil, preventing any nutrient burn or mineral buildup.
2.7 Remove Toxins in the Soil
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Sometimes, there are heavy metals and other toxic matter in the soil. Impressively, worm castings remove these dangerous wastes, leaving the soil safe and suitable for the plants to grow in. This is especially useful when growing marijuana in reclaimed landfills or other contaminated areas.
2.8 Repel Pests
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Aside from enriching the quality of the soil, worm castings also protect the plants from pest damage. Studies found that applying them around the plant promotes the release of chemicals that are offensive to insects. In effect, we control pest problems without resorting to chemicals.
3. How do we make it?
While some growers prefer to buy the castings from a local garden supply center, others like to make their own. The great thing about this method is that we can practice it anywhere. Whether at home or in the office, anyone can start making worm castings in three easy steps with the help of a few simple things.
Step 1: Select a Container
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Before getting the worms, prepare a suitably-sized bin for the desired amount of castings. Nowadays, there are so many types of commercial worm containers that are available online. They are designed for home use, so they are very easy to manage.
Step 2: Obtain Earthworms
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Now that we have a container, it’s time to get the worms. Most growers prefer to acquire them the easy way and purchase them at the local garden store or online. Others like to comb the soil for red wrigglers themselves. But remember that we need at least a thousand of worms if we want to produce a decent amount of castings.
Step 3: Provide the Basic Needs
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